LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12066, 23 July 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A Press Association telegram states that on Saturday Messrs Bing, Harris and Co. received advice from Mr AYolf Harris to pay out on his behalf the sum of £IOOO for the a-elief of soldiers' dependents in New Zealand. The money will he equally distributed between the four centres. Mr Harris has made two contributions previously of a like amount for the purpose named.

Twenty-eicht Germans of military age, managed to reach Germany from Chile not long ago, after a remarkable voyage, according to the. Cologne "Gazette." The Germans bought the old Chilean 480-ton sailing vessel. Tinto, fitt-pd it with a wireless installation, and voyaged by way of tha Shetlands and Norway. The ship was sold in Drontheim, and the men proceeded to Germany. The journey occupied 124 days. The scow Moohau capsized in a squall in the Hauraki Gulf last week, when she was starting for Piako from Miranda beach at the Thames with a cargo of shingle. She is floating bottom uppermost, and is held in l>y a. loosfll chain and the mast stumps. The Moehau is a small vessel of 23 tons, and is owned by Messrs M'Callum Bros., who sent a representative in the T«> Awhina to salvage the vessel and tow her to Auckland.

The first American citizen to leave; Auckland as a member of the Xew Zealand Expeditionary Force is stated by Mr A. A. Winslow. American ConsulGeneral, to be Mr S. '[>. Mill, of Kentucky, who since. February, If'Mi, lias acted as his private secretary, and who went into ramp with the last draft of men. There had been several other applications from American citizens to lie included in the New Zealand Forces, bat, while America was a neutral country, said Mr Winslow. he could take no action towards furthering their wishes, consequently such American citizens as had been included in the forcps had probably enlisted as Canadians. Now that the United States had joined the Allies, however, this difficulty would bo removed, and nil that American-born citizens had to do was to take the oath of allegiance to the King.

Mr A. AY. MaoGillivray. honorary correspondent of the Scottish Society of New Zealand (says the "Scotsman"), writes from Christchurob : T have again the privilege 1o acknowledge with many thanks tho bountiful supply of heather which has been forwarded in response to my appeal for the distrihution at our annual concerts during November, and also for our boys who are fighting for us in foreign lands. As a great, many parcels arrived late, it was decided that a heather day bo organised to dispose of what remained, in the streets of Christrhurch, the proceeds devoted to the Belgian Fund. The net amount realised was £144 Us 4-Jd. A bouquet of heather gailv decked with Royal Stuart tartan streamers (the badges of our society) and arranged by Mrs MaoGillivray, was disposed of by public roup at the Ceilidh on the; previous evening, and realised tho sum of £ll lis. J trust that donors of heather will gratefully accept this acknowledgment of parcels sent.

A series of robberies has recently been carried out in Sydney, and, as a. result, over £ISOO, which was being transmitted by taxpayers to the State. Income Tax Ofiice, has been stolen. Scores of letters containing cheques and money in other forms disappeared, and investigation revealed tho fact that the thieves had taken the precaution to remove only open cheques, postal notes and money orders. All unnegotiablo morey wa,s left behind. To realise, t.hecheques, the thieves opened accounts in three city banks in different names, and the cheques and other moneys vcro, paid in. No suspicion was aroused 111 the banks, and tho accounts were operated on freely by means of cheques. The thefts and the, operations on the bank accounts ceased suddenly, and the, banks -were abandoned with only small sums to their credit. One account was left with a balance of about £lo. another, which reaehed a little over £OOO, with 'X't, and the third with only a few pounds. The abilitv of a vouth of fifteen to handle .a plough cropped up during tho hearing of an appeal by a reservist at a sitting of the Otago No. 2 Military Servico Board at Gore, on Thursday. An appellant was being questioned as to the'ability of his younger brother, aged fifteen years, to work a ploughing team, tho witness being of the opinion that the lad was much too voting for the job. This prompted Captain Barrett, (the military representative) to remark that perhaps it Mas not generally known that one of tho members of the board had handled a plough before he was fifteen years of age, and had actually gained first prize at a ploughing match at that age. Mr James Fleming (the member referred to) did not volunteer any information on the, subject, but the statement, says- the " Otago Daily Times," is a fact nevertheless. "Mr Fleming was a " tweeller " of no mean order, and has more than one first r>rize to his credit. Tho match referred" to took place at Lor.gb-.lsh. Southland, in the sixties, and tho implement, used was a swing plough, net a wheeled machine, such as is~in uso to-day, and those who have manipulated the former class of implement know that it requires both skill and strength to handle it successfully. Startling tests of "Coal Ore" were by Melbourne analyst: Untreated coal burns 5 hours 20 minutes, treated coal 7 hours 40 minutes. Are you 1-iking this saving? Hastie, Bull and Pickering, agents. X 136

Tho Madras Street Methodist Church, which has recently been renovated, was re-opened yesterday, when special services were Wd. The, R-ev Yv. T. Hooper preached in iho mornins, and delivered an appropriate addross. The, owning service was conducted bv thfl Rev C. 10. Ward, who dealt in his address with tho ''Openness of Christianity."

A case in which a young professional man with an income of £750 annually had enlisted, to receive 5s a day, was quoted by Mr G. R. Sykes in the. House of Representatives last Friday evening. . "Similar cases are occurring every day," said the member for Masterton, "and we who are fathers of sons who are eligible to make sacrifices are willing to make those sacrifices."

The police wore busy on Saturday at Hagley Park, and at, tho various sports grounds, inquiring of the often excited spectators whether they had in their possession certificates of enrohnent. as required bv the Military Service Act. The valuable scran of paper was in most instances forthcoming, name and addresses being taken of those, who had tho certificates "at home" or elsewhere.

At, a recent meeting of the Auckland Savage Club Die chairman, Mr F- VFra'zer. S.M.. gave a to illustrate how the memory of the, Kaiser mav in future receive a word ot praise.' After tho [bor war, rhetor? ran a --ertain crentlrman rose and proposed the health of Paul Krucev. 1 noanit." he said, in answer to groans • T drink to Paul Knicer, who boumt mother the Brii ish Empire. In the „•<-. mm- Inter on speak of t hesame wav u p nM.. !•'" ' l ' ... Kaiser as binding together every mili>;ed country.

At. tin- rer-id-moe of Mr "■ F J>xor\ Pass Boad. on Saturday .aftor- „,',,,, Mr W. •!• Cour;i-r. oi the <«"- vr-rnmont, Agriccli urn I Department, uuro another de-ionsl ration of slaving fnii'. tiv-s. There was a lnro-- iitvondaivo ot Rnwor>. .Mi foir-liov showed how to control and identify tree diseases. Oim disease which was especially dealt Mith was the '-inn .10*0 Tlii- 'Hsoa-.p, explained Mr C'ourtior, was little- known among .sow Zealand growers, iv.it it was a very clcndlv one Yot-s of thanks worn pn«prl to Mr C'ourtior, and to Mr and Mrs "Way for providing: afternoon tea. Tlio whole of the Service Boards in the Dominion will pit in conference in Wellington on August 2. The, practice in tho past has boon for onlv tho chairmen of the hoards to moot, but tho other members have also been requested to attend the forthcoming conference. It is understood that! one of the objects of tho conference is that a definite understanding may be arrived at in connection with cases upon which a variety of decisions has been given. The conference will have, matters in connection with the calling up of the Second Division Reserve brought before it.

One of the very early settlers of Onehunga. Mr Thomas Rice Tillman, celebrated the ninetieth anniversary of his birthday last week, says the Auckland "Star." Mr Cillman is known as the Father of Onehunga, and would appear to merit- the honour. He arrived in Xew Zealand in September, 1803. by the ship Annie Wilson, and shortly afterwards settled in Onehunga, where he has resided ever since. He is the father of Hi children, with 21 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchil-dren. A biithday party was attended by On lelatives. Mr Gillmau was the recipient- of numerous congratulatory telecrrams and lottery and some handsome presents. During his long residence at Onehunga. Mr Cillman, who is tho son of a Congregational minister, lias been, associated with the local Congregational Church, and is now a life deacon. He attributes his longevity to plenty of open-air exercise, and may be seen walking out. almost every day in the week, a, standing rebuke to the penny trippers in the tramenrs.

An exhaustive return regarding the New Zealand hospital ships has been ordered bv tho House of Representatives, on the motion of, Mr W. If. Field. The return asks: "That there be laid before this House a return showing ic-paratoly----(1) The cost of charter, alterations and equipment, and the nalaries and pay of officers, doctors, nurses-, and other staff officers upon and other expenses in respect of each of the hospital ships which have left the Dominion; (2) what proportion of the total cost has been borne by private subscription; ('•)) the quantity and cost of Mines, spirits and malt liquors supplied to and consumed upon such ships; (4) approximately the distances traversed by such ships; (0) the number of sick and wounded soldiers carried by sueh ships to the Dominion or to other destinations; (0) the distances such sick and wounded soldiers were carried ; (7) the periods .such ships have been on commission up to date; and (S) generally such further information as will enable the. public of the Dominion to judge whether the work done and services rendered by .such ships and their staffs has justified or is justifying their cost.'''